2013 Single-Topic News or Feature for Print/Online (Small Staff) Third Prize: Beth Hawkins and Tom Nehil

“District 287”

Judges’ Comments

“Given incredible access, Beth Hawkins was able to tell the story of students often forgotten in the educational system, and how schools are pooling resources to try to get these children the help they need.”

“With this series, Beth Hawkins demonstrates again the great value a community gains when quality journalists have meaningful access to information and people. Hawkins took a topic that makes most people’s eyes glaze over – education funding – and brought it into three dimensions, showing the impact on kids, the complications of cross-subsidy strategies, and the ongoing obstacles to paying the full freight of programs that are mandated by law, essential for many kids, and often extremely expensive.”